Scientists Find Ocean Acidification Threatens Shark Teeth Integrity

The 50th anniversary of Steven Spielberg's landmark film Jaws has sparked a renewed cultural and historical exploration of the movie, including a major exhibition at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures in Los Angeles. The exhibit features iconic props, original artwork by Roger Kastel, behind-the-scenes footage, and a replica of the mechanical shark, offering insight into the challenging production plagued by mechanical failures and weather delays. Spielberg reflects on the difficulties of making the film, describing the experience as "living out my worst nightmare," while also acknowledging the film's lasting legacy as the first summer blockbuster that instilled widespread fear of sharks. This fear contributed to significant shark depopulation, a regrettable consequence noted by both Spielberg and Peter Benchley, the novel's author. Contrasting with Jaws's portrayal of sharks as villains, the 1976 film Mako: The Jaws of Death sought to humanize sharks, presenting them as misunderstood creatures through a narrative about a telepathic connection between a Vietnam veteran and sharks. Meanwhile, current scientific research warns of environmental threats to actual sharks, as ocean acidification caused by rising CO2 levels may compromise the integrity of shark teeth, potentially impacting these apex predators and broader marine ecosystems.